


First Dance

by choigojaren



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, F/M, First Dance, First Kiss, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Reveal, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choigojaren/pseuds/choigojaren
Summary: The moment Marinette dreaded was about to come. The song would end soon, and her fairytale spell would be broken. Her freedom was escaping, and it would soon be followed by the chains that bound her every day. She would never be this close to Adrien again. | Inspired by Frank Sinatra's "Embraceable You" | Twoshot.
Comments: 35
Kudos: 145





	1. First Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first (and only, until now) Miraculous Ladybug story. It was originally written and published in other platforms on March 24, 2016. I had not published it here because I did not have an AO3 account until now. I decided to open one and publish this because: (1) I have been staying up to date with the series but I am drowning again in this fandom, four years later (2) I have been reading amazing AO3 ML stories lately and (3) I am working on, and finishing, a second chapter to this. It was supposed to be a stand-alone sequel, but the second chapter has proven to be very dependant on the first so I will include it here when it is finished.
> 
> I did some minor fixes on this story before publishing it here. I really hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> [P.S. The end notes are the original author’s note posted on the original work]

Marinette had really wanted to go to the annual school dance this year.

She had done everything in her power in order to go, but at the end, like every year, she was not able to. It was kind of like Juleka's curse with photos. Every time she tried to go to a school dance, something happened that prevented her from doing so.

Last year, it had been Chloé's fault. She had purposely reminded the principal about the many times Marinette had been late or absent from school and persuaded him into not letting her attend. This year, it was a stupid akuma attack. She could have gone to her school after getting rid of it, she knew, but she was so tired after the fight that she just gave up and went home.

Even though she was supposed to attract good luck, this matter seemed to be her exception. Tikki had comforted her when she was on the verge of tears from frustration that night.

The next day, however, everything had seemed to brighten up.

"Hey" Adrien greeted her after the school bell rang and they were free to go. He had waited for her by the classroom's door so he could talk to her.

"Hey" she replied, smiling. It was an inevitable response to his presence.

"I didn't see you last night at the dance" he pointed out, much to her dismay. Had he been looking for her, she wondered? Probably not, but she allowed herself to think so.

"I had a... situation" Marinette said with a sigh. After Adrien mentioned that he had never seen her in a school dance - at least, ever since he had met her - she explained to him that something always occurred that kept her from going.

After hearing this, Adrien had secretly decided to take matters into his own hands. With the help of Nino and Alya, who were more than eager to jump in and help, he made plans and preparations to meet with her on Friday night at his house.

When Marinette first heard about Adrien's invitation from Alya, she didn't believe her.

"You're just messing with me" she had said in a playful tone, but the sharp look that her friend shot back at her made her think otherwise. "Y-you're serious?!"

It had all led to this one night. This is how she ended up, under the moonlight of the city of Paris, walking into the Agreste mansion. Her best friend had told her that Adrien would be organizing a party at his house, complete with semi-formal dress code. She could not believe she had actually been invited, and still had some doubts about it all.

Then again, she and Adrien had gotten closer in the past few months. She could almost manage to form coherent sentences when she was around him, and her stutter had gradually disappeared. Still, it was surprising to her. She didn't even know what kind of event this was. What was she supposed to do if she didn't know anyone besides Adrien there? He would surely be busy enough attending to his guests that he wouldn't have the time of day – well, night, for her. What was she expecting anyway?

Gabriel's assistant, Nathalie, greeted her at the door and directed her to Adrien's room. Not that it was necessary. Ladybug had been here before, so Marinette knew her way around the corridors and doors of the maze-like residence.

She took a deep breath when she finally reached Adrien's door, deciding it would be polite to knock. The girl waited for agonizing seconds. She contemplated heading back outside and leaving, but she could not bring herself to do it. This was not a chance she got every day, she thought - to spend the evening with Adrien, or at least, to be invited to a party in his house. She suddenly wondered _why_ the party's dress code was semi-formal if it was just in his room. She also wondered why there didn't seem to be any kind of noise from inside. She couldn't hear voices nor music in the background.

What if this had been a prank from Alya? She brushed the thought aside... Alya wouldn't do that to her. Besides, she had even gone through the trouble of helping her pick out a dress. Also, Nathalie seemed to have been expecting her. The next thing that occurred to Marinette was that she was the first person to arrive. Marinette's mind started worrying about what she and Adrien were possibly going to do alone in their room. Did she and Adrien have a particular similar interest? She thought about it for a second, remembering that they both liked to play videogames. Was that what she was here for? Was she overdressed for the occasion? Why had she let Alya pick out a _dress_ , of all things? She should have just worn a skirt.

Her overthinking was interrupted when the handsome boy who always sat in front of her in class opened the door. "Hi Marinette. Come in" he said, his free arm gesturing towards the room.

Marinette walked in, hesitating for a slight second. Her first surprise of the night was the state of the room.

It was decorated with see-through red and black curtains where the glass windows were located. The windows were open, letting in the chilly yet comforting breeze of the night. A tall, round table with two chairs had been placed at one side of the room. Black and red rose petals were scattered over it, surrounding the lit cream-colored candles that were placed in the middle, and the tableware and plates were set - all that was missing in them was food. The lighting in the room was dim. It gave her the feeling that she was inside an expensive restaurant.

She turned around with the intention of asking Adrien what this was all about, but her words caught in her throat when she noticed something else - the way he was dressed.

Adrien wore a gray-blue dress shirt with the sleeves elegantly rolled up to his elbows. His grey dress pants matched his vest - which was black at the back, she would notice later, and he also wore a black tie. His hair was styled in the same manner as always, but he looked more handsome in a way. _He always looks handsome though_ , Marinette thought. It was then when she realized that Adrien was smiling at her.

"You look beautiful" the blonde spoke, and she noticed him eyeing her dress. She was shocked at what she had just heard, and almost slapped herself to check if she was really awake, but didn't just in case this was real life. She had no need to make a fool of herself in front of Adrien. Well, at least, not again.

Adrien's jaw almost dropped as he realized he had said those words out loud, but he could not keep himself from admiring the beauty of his pale-skinned classmate. Her figure looked beautiful in the dress she was wearing, and she fit perfectly with the setting of the room. She was dressed in a heart-shaped strapless red dress with a black lace design on the front. The black skirt with a layered a-line design started just above her waist and went down a little further from the middle of her upper leg. She wore big hoop earrings that hid under her hair, which he had only just noticed she was wearing down, and not in her usual pigtails. Her shoes were simple black flat pumps. In addition, she wore a darker tone of pink lipstick, contrary to her usual light tinge. He was awed by her beauty, and Marinette felt her cheeks flush a little when Adrien's gaze finally landed on her eyes.

She looked like a goddess in his eyes, and he suddenly wished she was smiling, so he could admire that too. Her shocked expression hadn't changed, however.

"W-what is this all about?" she asked, cursing at herself and her stupid stutter. Adrien's smile didn't leave his face as he walked towards the girl, who was standing in the middle of the room.

"You weren't able to go to the dance, so... I decided to re-create it" he said. Marinette's face showed her confusion and awe, and the boy chuckled. "Nino and Alya helped me. They'll be arriving later"

A small sense of comfort overcame Marinette's body knowing that she would have her best friend's support later tonight. She wished she was here right now, but she decided to try and push this thought away and enjoy Adrien's sole company while it lasted. She didn't get a chance like this every day, after all. Still, she couldn't deny herself the fact that she was extremely nervous. She was doing her best to keep it from Adrien.

She also felt overwhelmed by his kindness. He was doing this _for her_?

"Will this be your first dance?" he asked as he stopped in front of her. Marinette nodded. Adrien extended his right hand to her.

"I don't know how to..." Marinette said, not finishing the sentence, suddenly self-conscious about what she was wearing and the realization that she did not know how to dance. She hadn't known she was going to do that tonight. All those years longing to go to her school's annual ball, and she had never realized that she did not know how to dance.

Adrien smiled, a sweet expression that made the girl's heart melt and freeze at the same time. "Oh, Marinette," he replied as he took one of her hands, lifting it and intertwining their fingers together, "you're perfect. Just follow my lead; I'll teach you".

Marinette blushed, but she managed to keep her calm composure. Had this happened some time before, she thought, she wouldn't have been able to handle it. But things were different now. The girl had learned to behave herself like a normal human being around him, yet this did not mean that she had stopped liking him. In fact, it was the complete opposite. She could feel herself falling deeper in love with him with each breath that she took.

"Can I have this dance, my Lady?" he asked, finishing with the most unexpected nickname she could have imagined, and his voice had a sense of familiarity in it. She nodded again, not trusting her voice at the moment. Adrien proceeded to press the play button of a little controller he had taken out of his vest pocket, throwing it to a nearby couch afterwards before turning his attention back to her.

He grabbed her free hand with his own, placing it on his shoulder, and then rested his palm on her waist.

She recognized the song almost immediately, and a small laughed escaped her lips as they started dancing along. Adrien was a good lead, and the dance was simple enough - easy for her to follow. One slow step to the left, one slow step to the right. Repeat. The hand on her waist held her firmly, as if telling her body which direction to go to next.

"What is it?" Adrien asked, curiosity getting the better of him. He was happy to finally see her smile.

"I love this song" Marinette dared to look up, meeting the forest green orbs looking back to her.

"Really?" he asked, smiling even more broadly than before. The girl nodded again, not looking away from the blonde's gaze. The atmosphere, the mood of the song, and him - they all blended together into a perfect harmony. Marinette closed her eyes for a second, letting Adrien and the music lead her. She felt something she had never felt before in her life - freedom. Freedom from her feelings, her troubles, her responsibilities... Another laugh resonated through the room, and Marinette realized it was hers again.

"Why do you keep laughing?" Adrien looked at her with a puzzled smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I just didn't picture you listening to this kind of music"

"Well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me, Marinette". There it was, the familiar tone in his voice again, a resonating feeling that she had heard these words before, but the blue-eyed girl couldn't quite figure out what it reminded her of. He didn't mean that to sound harsh, and it didn't. His voice was gentle, as if he was telling her that he was willing to share all of his secrets with her.

Adrien was secretly satisfied with the situation. Had it been a coincidence that the beautiful woman whose hand he held was wearing a dress with the same colors of the decoration? He wondered if Alya was behind this.  
_  
I'm in love with you  
I am  
And verily so  
But you're much too shy  
Unnecessarily so  
_

Marinette listened to the song carefully, as if she had never heard the lyrics before, and wondered if it meant anything to him - if his playing this specific song at the moment meant something. She didn't think so, much to her own self-induced disappointment, but she would not let that stop her from enjoying this moment. She knew the song was not a long one, and she intended to let herself drown in every second of it.  
_  
I love all, the many charms about you  
_

The song reached the start of the first of two choruses, and Adrien released his grip on her waist, taking a step back, and she instinctively did the same, extending their arms. He pulled her slightly and she spun around once, landing on Adrien's body with his arm around her, then spun back out after a second, following the rhythm of the music. They faced each other and joined their figures again, this time a little closer. Marinette stumbled slightly while trying to regain the tempo on her feet, and Adrien's grip on her waist and hand tightened in order to keep her from falling. She giggled, probably out of embarrassment, and Adrien just kept smiling, this time showing his white pearls and brightening up the room with that angelic gaze that could only belong to him.  
_  
My sweet embraceable you  
_

The end of the chorus came, and Adrien's right hand lifted. Marinette spun in place, her hand landing on Adrien's chest when she came back to meet him again.

Before the second chorus started, Adrien extended his arm yet again, and Marinette repeated the spin where Adrien's arm wrapped around her. She thought they would separate again, but Adrien brought his free hand up to hers, intertwining their fingers and trapping her in a back hug as they kept dancing.  
_  
I love all, the many charms about you  
Above all, I want these arms around you  
_

Marinette tried to savor and engrave this moment into her mind as much as she could. Closing her eyes, the girl allowed her other senses to take control. She could feel Adrien's fit body pressing against her back. She could smell his perfume, not too strong, but strong enough to be able to stick to her until the end of the night. And his hands, firm, yet holding hers so tenderly, so softly. He unconsciously caressed her own hand with his thumb. The raven-haired girl's heart skipped a beat for the hundredth time that night.

The moment Marinette dreaded was about to come. The song would end soon, and her fairytale spell would be broken. Her freedom was escaping, and it would soon be followed by the chains that bound her every day. She would never be this close to Adrien again. Slight desperation tried to overcome her, but she pushed it away in order to enjoy the last few seconds.

As the melancholic singer was about to finish his tune, Adrien stopped moving, but made no attempt at letting Marinette go. When she turned her face to look at him, she found his own extremely close, searching for her gaze. The first thing she noticed were his lips, slightly parted. She expected a smile, but there was none. They were so close, she could almost taste him. She was savoring the sound of his breath so close to her, the rise and fall of his chest against her back, and God only knows that if she had more confidence in herself, she would have breached the distance between them already.

She finally lifted her eyes, unaware that Adrien had been waiting for her to do so. He shot a quick glance downwards, at what she thought were her lips, and she got so flustered that she swore that Adrien could feel the heat radiating through her cheeks up to her ears. He released his grip on one of her hands, and Marinette feared that he was finally going to release her and break the spell. Yet his now free hand hovered over her face, gently placing itself upon her, just where her cheekbone and her neck met, and a second later, he was kissing her.

It was sweet, just like Adrien. He pressed his lips against hers gently, as if he was afraid he would break her. She closed her eyes instinctively, or maybe out of panic and embarrassment. For a second, she forgot how to breathe. Marinette felt herself disconnected from her surroundings. At that moment, only the blonde hair and the green orbs hiding behind closed eyelids and tender lips existed. Only he existed.

Adrien was trying his hardest not to get carried away. He had wanted to do this for longer than he realized, and he was also afraid of scaring the girl away. What would he do if she got angry at him afterwards? He had not thought about this when he leaned in to kiss her. He had done so unconsciously, almost by instinct. One slight peck, followed by millimeters of distance. Then another, in which he felt Marinette doing the same, and his insecurities were washed away in that instant. He pushed his face closer to hers, trying to keep his breathing steady as he leaned in closer and held her lips firmly this time, the third time, for a couple of seconds.

Pulling away was the hardest thing to do, for both of them. They feared the same thing: the other's reaction, but they had to admit to themselves that they didn't regret what had just happened. They both opened their eyes, afraid to look at each other but doing so anyways. Adrien searched the ocean in her eyes for some kind of reaction. Marinette looked away, towards the floor, not able to keep this up. The little confidence she had was drifting away. She had used it all up by kissing him back, she thought.

Adrien panicked for a second, but relief washed over him when he saw the girl's shy smile brighten up her complexion. He noticed that he had still not let go of her, and he didn't want to, but he thought there was no excuse left for him to hold her. He slowly released her hand and cheek, and she did not know if she should turn around to face him or keep her back to him even though this would be unusual and impolite.

"I really wanted to dance with you that day," Adrien said, putting a hand behind his neck in embarrassment, looking down to the side. "I'm happy we were able to do it tonight." He was trying to sound as casual as ever, as if nothing had happened just a few seconds ago.

"Thank you" she found herself whispering, and she did not know if it was because of everything - the invitation, the decoration, the suit, the compliments - or because of the kiss. Maybe it was a combination of all of it.

Marinette had not realized until now, but the radio had started playing a different song somewhere in between their intimate moment. _"Fly Me to the Moon"_ , she recognized it as well, and smiled for what seemed like the thousandth time that night.

"You're welcome, Princess"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you were wondering, on this story, Adrien knows. This is the reason why at some points during the story he kind of acts a little more like Chat.
> 
> This is my first Miraculous Ladybug fic! It's been a while since I've written so I hope I'm not very rusty… The main song reference on this fic is Frank Sinatra's "Embraceable You". I was listening to it for the first time some days ago and the idea for this story came to mind. I could just perfectly picture these two slow dancing to this type of music so I couldn't help writing it! I hope you enjoyed the fluff!
> 
> Also… THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DRABBLE. Whoops…
> 
> [Updated end note: March 16, 2020]  
> A friend of mine, as well as one of the readers, noticed a major mistake that I had not until now: Marinette is not wearing her miraculous on this story. I cannot believe I did not notice that, but for the sake of keeping the essence of the story, I'm not going to edit it. I'm guessing Alya might have had something to do with Marinette not wearing her Miraculous earrings and the hoop earrings instead. She pestered Marinette so much about it that she had to go along with it (you know that Mari is, as stated by Alya herself, a pushover. She's just too nice to say no). For the sake of the story, let's pretend Mari's dress has a secret pocket somewhere where she is keeping her little miraculous box safe, just in case. I am also going to take advantage of this mistake and correct it on the second chapter, so look out for that, hehe...


	2. Second Dance

It was all suddenly falling into place. Like clockwork pieces being connected and starting to function after a long time of staying dormant, her brain started putting everything together. Not fast enough, but she was getting there.

The familiarity in this boy’s voice, and in his expressions. He’d called her “My Lady”, first, when he’d asked her for a dance, and she hadn’t thought much of it back then. But now, he had called her “Princess”, and it wasn’t a nickname Adrien had ever used with her… or with anyone, as far as she was aware of.

Except that there was someone else who had used both of those nicknames when speaking to her.

Panic started to creep into her mind, and so her body’s response was to turn away from the man whose identity she was now questioning.

"Marinette… no… Turn around" his command sounded more like a plea, a hint of concern in his voice.

Marinette was scared to do so, because the familiar attitude and phrases had finally clicked inside her mind. If she turned around and saw his face, she knew she would confirm her suspicions. And if that happened, how was she supposed to act towards the blonde expecting an answer from her?

“I can’t” she replied, almost a whisper. Her fairytale ball’s spell had ended with an unexpected turn, and she couldn’t figure out if she liked it or not. Maybe she should imitate Cinderella and run away; pretend that the clock had struck twelve and that the magic was over.

“Why?” Adrien’s voice resonated through her ears, and she felt him getting closer. “Did I offend you?”

The raven-haired girl closed her eyes, wanting to answer, wanting to tell him how absurd that was, but her voice wouldn’t come out now. She held herself with crossed arms, still considering an escape. This would be a perfect time, but the possible consequences were terrifying. What was she supposed to do the next time he saw him, if she left now?

“Marinette” his arms were on her shoulders now, and he stood behind her. His grip was gentle, as if she were a bubble that could pop at any time.

Had Adrien figured out her secret identity? Was he assuming the role of Chat Noir just to tease her with his newfound knowledge? What would Chat think if he found out that someone knew about her double life, even though she hadn’t revealed herself to him? Would he be jealous that he wasn’t the first one to know? It wasn’t like she had revealed herself to Adrien on purpose. In fact, she was just assuming that he had figured it out.

But, wait… that didn’t make sense. The red and black decorations. The smug flash on his innocent face, so uncharacteristic of Adrien and more characteristic of another blonde. _The nicknames._ It wasn’t that Adrien was assuming the role of Chat Noir, it was that _Adrien was…_

And then there was that sentence. “ _There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Marinette.”_

He knew; she was sure of it. And she was starting to figure out something else on her own part.

“Princess…?” she found herself asking out loud, not really noticing she had verbalized her thoughts, as if she were trying to make sense of it all.

Adrien blushed a bit, suddenly overly conscious of what he had said, though he did not regret it. He was being obvious, and he was doing it on purpose, because _he wanted her to know._

“Adrien… what’s going on?” Marinette asked, trying to keep her calm. It was all happening too fast. Her, dancing with Adrien. Her, _kissing_ Adrien. And now, this sudden revelation of everything… _everything._ What did his words mean? What did his actions mean? What did that kiss, which seemed so far away in her memory now, mean? She tried to savor it, engrave it into her mind as Frank Sinatra’s _Fly Me to the Moon_ was still playing in the background, but the overwhelming wave of her thoughts, of her trying to figure this out, was not letting her do so.

Adrien pulled at Marinette’s shoulders gently, as if asking her to turn around. When she finally did, he looked at her with a sweet expression and reached out to hold her hand – not reaching it in time, as the door to his bedroom opened.

They were both startled at the interruption and looked towards the entrance of the room to find that Nino and Alya had arrived. “Duuude, we finally made it!” Nino exclaimed, and Alya waved at Marinette. “Hey girl!”

Marinette dreaded the interruption, even though she had wished for her best friend‘s presence just minutes ago. Her timing was definitely the worst. She realized that the subject would have to be dropped until an opportunity came, and just _when_ was an opportunity going to come up again, and _how_ was she going to approach Adrien about it? She couldn’t just go up to him and ask him if he had figured out her secret identity, because what if all of this was just a coincidence, or her overthinking?

Even though she _had_ considered running away, she wasn’t actually going to. She knew she had to face this.

Despite the rampage running inside her mind, and the bit of annoyance for the interruption, having Alya in the same room made her a bit calmer. She took a deep breath.

Adrien waved at Nino and Alya, with a hint of coldness to his smile, which was strange for him. Of course, he had to be annoyed at the sudden, inconvenient entrance of their friends – that is, only if what Marinette was thinking was actually true. Perhaps she really _was_ overthinking. She had to be overthinking - because otherwise…

They engaged in idle chit chat. Nino was awed at how similar the decorations of the room were to the actual dance some nights ago – which had been Ladybug themed, based on her colors, as a sign of gratitude from the students for saving them in more than one occasion. Adrien politely answered that it had been Alya’s doing. They had been accomplices in the planning of this event, it seemed, and even though Nino had helped plan this, he had not been aware of how similar his girlfriend was going to make this setting to the school dance’s. Marinette was surprised her best friend had helped set this up without her knowledge, but even as she tried to engage as best as she could in the conversation, her mind was elsewhere entirely. She snuck glances at Adrien’s polite stance from time to time to see if he was as engaged as he really seemed to be, or if he was also nervous about this whole situation. He caught her eyes once, smiling at her warmly, which made her look away. It was as if they were sharing a secret.

Nino and Alya were not showing it, but with one look at each other, they knew that they had made their entrance at a bad time. They knew they were probably interrupting something important. After a couple of minutes spent chatting, Alya suggested that Adrien show Marinette to the balcony, which also appeared to be decorated, while she and Nino looked over the playlist for the evening. It was an excuse, and all of them knew it, yet they obliged.

Adrien was grateful for Alya’s witty journalistic senses, and shot her a knowing smile, which she returned with a wink as she walked away with her boyfriend towards the stereo.

Marinette walked herself over to the balcony, a little too fast, with Adrien trailing behind her. When she reached the glass sliding doors, she found that she was too nervous to pull them open, as her strength was failing her. Adrien reached out to the door, putting his hand on top of hers. “Allow me”, he said, in a low voice which was so close she could perceive every characteristic of it. She heard a tinge of something else in his voice. Was he also nervous?

It was then that she saw the ring. A ring with a shape so familiar, she thought she could recognize it anywhere, even when its color was different, and a certain green paw was missing. Had he been wearing that ring all this time without her noticing? She found she couldn’t believe she had missed such detail.

Adrien finally opened the door, and she reached the railings, holding on to them as if they had all the answers she was searching for imprinted on them. She didn’t know what to think, or say, as her blond companion walked behind her and leaned on the railings to her right, his back to them, and crossed his arms. She dared to take a glance at his face; he was looking straight ahead towards the glass sliding door, not facing her.

“Are you okay Marinette?” he asked, in a serious tone, which made her worry, adding that to the list of complicated thoughts circling in her mind. “Look, I’m sorry if I’ve crossed a line,” his hand brushed through his hair in a nervous gesture, “or if anything I’ve said or done has upset you. Just, please know that it wasn’t my intention.”

He had a mixture of emotions on his face. It seemed as if he was as conflicted as her.

“I’m just… trying to understand…” she muttered, loosening her grip on the railings, looking straight into the night Parisian sky. She was trying to be polite, and to reassure him that nothing was wrong, because she wasn’t clear as to what he was apologizing for.

“What are you trying to understand?” Adrien turned around, leaning against the railing next to her, still not looking at her.

“ _Everything_ ” her voice was just above a whisper, but he had heard. He was close enough to catch her voice.

Adrien smiled weakly. “You’re going to have to explain this to me if I’m going to try to help you understand”, he said, trailing her gaze towards the sky.

“Why did you kiss me?” was the first question that came to her mind, and to her mouth. Marinette realized this too late, opening her eyes wide for a second, and then turning her head away from Adrien. Her cheeks were burning again.

Adrien blushed too, but smiled. “Well, that’s an easy one. I thought I had chosen that song correctly, though” he said, and she knew he was referring to the song they danced along to.

“I…” Marinette was left speechless. She wanted to hear the truth. She wanted him to say everything out loud, because otherwise, she would be assuming. But she did not dare ask again.

The blond took a glance at her, straightening himself up from the railing and grabbing her hand, inviting her to do the same and to face him. She did.

“Marinette… I…”

“You can’t say that” Marinette refuted, surprised to find herself interrupting what she thought he would say.

“And why is it that I can’t?” Adrien asked, still holding her hand. Marinette was avoiding his gaze, and he was desperate for her to look at him. “Do you even know what I’m going to say?”

“I think I do… and I don’t know what to do about it”

Adrien grabbed Marinette’s other hand. “I don’t know what to do about it either. I need you to help me figure this out, as I try to help you understand”

“I… I need you to be transparent with me” she said, finally looking up to his green eyes. She was so nervous. She was breaking the biggest rule she had put between her and her companion. _Between Ladybug and Chat Noir._

Because this was him, wasn’t it?

Her longtime crush was the man who claimed to be in love with her, one of her best friends, and her companion. She did not know how she should react to this, or how to feel about it.

“Whatever you want me to say, Mari, I’ll say it. Just ask”

There he was, giving all of himself to her, and she was making it so hard from her part. It’s not that she didn’t want to…

“Do you know who I am? Do you _really_ know who I am?” she asked, bringing her head down, as if afraid to hear the answer she was sure she was going to get, or as if she was going to be wrong. Her eyes were welling up with tears, because either one of those options were scary.

“I know, my Lady” was the response she got.

She looked up to meet those green eyes. She should have known. How did she not know, after all this time together?

“Chat Noir?” she whispered, her voice failing.

“Yes, Ladybug?” he smiled tenderly, as if he could comfort all of her worries with that gesture.

“ _Chat?_ ” she asked again, because she couldn’t believe that this was her partner.

“Yes, Bugaboo?” The nickname sounded strange in his voice. No, it sounded strange coming from Adrien and not from a boy behind a mask.

“For how long have you known?” the tears that had been forming behind her eyes were threatening to fall now.

“More than you know” was his answer. Marinette scoffed with disbelief, trying to hold back the tears to no avail; they were already falling. She was going to get a proper answer to that question soon, she promised herself; but for now, that was enough. Her tears slipping down her face, a soft hand cupped her cheek, gently wiping them away with its thumb. “Please don’t cry.” Adrien was trying to hide his concern, because he was watching the strong superheroine crumble because of him. For a second, he regretted this whole ordeal. He had pushed her into realizing his identity. He had been selfish.

“I’m sorry” she whispered.

“For what?”

“For keeping you in the dark…”

“Don’t apologize”

“…and for not knowing sooner… I should’ve known…”

Adrien’s hand now lay beneath her chin, lifting her head up so she could see his eyes. His expression was soft, but serious. “You had your reasons, Marinette. I don’t resent you, believe me. And I want you to know that I didn’t mean to find out, or disrespect your decision, I just… figured it out. So _I’m_ the one who’s sorry.” Adrien scoffed, before adding, “And then I go and pester Alya with this crazy idea just so I could drop some hints. I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t know if I wanted to tell you tonight, or have you figure it out, or… I just – I don’t know what I was thinking. But I wanted you to know. And that was selfish. I’m sorry”

“Don’t apologize. Silly cat” Marinette said, surprising him. She was using her free hand to wipe the tears that were still escaping from her eyes. Her other hand was still holding Adrien’s.

“Fine, I won’t apologize if you don’t. We’re even”

Marinette finally laughed, throwing her head back, separating Adrien’s hand from her chin. The blond beamed at the girl’s laughter. She looked so beautiful, under the rays of moonlight, even with tears drying in her cheeks.

“Any more questions? You must have a lot… I know I do” he asked daringly, though his face had a light tinge of pink.

“Does it bother you?”

“Huh?”

“That… that _I’m_ Ladybug” Marinette looked away, bringing her free hand up to her cheek and turning her gaze away. Her sudden burst of confidence had slipped away just as fast as it had come.

Adrien was taken aback by this question. Did she seriously think so less of herself? He wished he was wrong; that he was just misinterpreting the question.

“Why would it bother me, Marinette? You’re insane if you think it does. How do you think I felt when I found out that my best friend is actually the woman I’m in love with? What could possibly be better than that?”

“In… love with?” Marinette’s eyes opened wide, releasing her hand from Adrien’s out of shock. The boy was devastated to have this physical connection broken, and for a moment, he was scared that he was saying the wrong things, going on about this issue in a way he shouldn’t. However, he had never hidden his feelings towards Ladybug as Chat Noir, and he wasn’t about to do it as Adrien.

“Marinette, I wasn’t…” Adrien took a second to gather his thoughts. He brought his left hand across his chest, holding his right arm in a vulnerable stance. “Chat wasn’t lying when he said he loved Ladybug. He’s loved her ever since he met her, not only because of who she is, but because of everything that lies underneath. Chat and Ladybug’s friendship is the most important thing to me, and I know I’m saying too much, but… but I need to” the boy took hold of Marinette’s hands again, out of necessity, because he needed her to understand that he wasn’t lying, the hint of pink in his cheeks getting stronger. This is something Marinette never thought she would see – a flustered Adrien, flustered over an exchange with _her_. And, oh, what type of exchange it was…

“I have never lied to you as Chat Noir, and I’m not lying now, either. Finding out that Ladybug and Marinette are the same person was… shocking, I admit. But only because I couldn’t believe that the sweet girl who could barely speak to me at first is the same confident woman I am in love with. But I’m glad… I’m so happy, Marinette. I love you. Both as Ladybug, and as Marinette.”

“Adrien-” Marinette was going to speak, thinking he was done. He wasn’t.

“I understand if you can’t return my feelings, or if it’s too much pressure on you. God, maybe this was all a bad idea, and I’m s-”

“I love you too” she whispered, not meeting his gaze. Her face was burning, and she felt like she was going to pass out, because, well, she was doing so many unexpected things at once. She was confessing her love to her longtime crush, who also happened to be her superhero partner, who, on his hand, had been in love with her for a while. They had both been liking each other in secret, and they never knew.

Adrien thought he had to be imagining the words that were coming out of her mouth.

“I’m… really, really glad it’s you…” Marinette dared a glance at her green-eyed companion, and Adrien’s only way of holding on to this moment was to pull Marinette into a sweet embrace. The girl was too surprised to do anything but let herself be pulled into the hug, but then she dared to bring her arms up to Adrien’s neck, hugging him back.

She let herself drown in every emotion she was feeling and every information her senses were processing. _Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir_. He had figured out her identity, and had respected her decision of not revealing themselves to each other (until he couldn’t take it anymore, at least; or so it seemed). _He was still in love with her, even as Marinette._ She could feel her body absorbing his warmth, she could feel him breathing in her shoulders, and she could feel his hands around her waist, a tickling, sparking feeling where his palms rested respectfully. A scent of vanilla was slipping into her, and she registered it as Adrien’s shampoo. The light scent of his cologne was combining into the mixture.

And then, he broke the hug, but not the embrace, to look at her again. His hands were still hugging her waist, and her hands were still holding on to his neck. She saw him smile tenderly, and his expression conveyed every bit of happiness that he was feeling. Marinette smiled shyly in response, daring to hold his gaze. His eyes… of course he was Chat Noir. She felt as if she could have gotten lost in those green eyes forever. She wondered how the hell she had never noticed all the similarities. The hair, the eyes, his voice… she felt so stupid for not realizing sooner, but she knew that the Miraculous had that effect on people, with the precise goal to protect the heroes’ identities.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know” she said. Adrien chuckled. “I felt the same way once I figured it out”

“Wait,” Marinette suddenly made yet another connection inside her mind, “Is this why you’ve been approaching me more at school for the past months? Because you _knew_?”

Adrien’s shocked expression was obvious. “I-I mean, we were already friends before I started approaching you more. I just… wanted to confirm my suspicions, I guess?” One of his hands went straight to the back of his neck, a habit he tended to have when he was embarrassed. His hand found Marinette’s, which were still there, and he immediately returned it to her waist so that she wouldn’t break the embrace.

“Oh my God” she was both flustered and a bit mad, because that would have meant that her newfound friendship with Adrien was only because he had found out her identity. She was jealous of herself, and she knew how stupid that was.

“I’m sorry” he smiled apologetically. “In my defense, I always thought you were pretty cute”

“You’re just saying that” she said, trying to hide her pout behind a smile that soon became a real one. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. I guess it got us to where we are, somehow”

“And where exactly are we?” Adrien asked, in a very Chat-like, cocky tone of voice.

“In your bedroom balcony, silly” Marinette teased, bringing out Ladybug’s daring side. She would not let herself be teased by Chat Noir and let him get away with it, even if he was Adrien Agreste.

“That is not what I meant” he replied.

“I know”, was her response, followed by a smirk.

Adrien’s behavior had taken a turn from when she had first arrived tonight, his smooth and knowing Adrien-like posture being broken and combined with Chat’s witty, flirty attitude. It was going to take some getting used to, to think of these two boys as one.

Their gazes locked into each other again, and Adrien’s eyes darted towards Marinette’s lips, just like they had when he kissed her before, while they were dancing. Her breath hitched, because when it happened the first time, she had been so nervous, and it had been so unexpected that she hadn’t really registered it as she could now. She now knew that he wanted to kiss her, and of course, she wanted him to kiss her. Still, it made her nervous, because this was _Adrien_.

“Mari?” The girl’s heart was beating quickly. She was going to love hearing Adrien call her that from now on, she thought, because he had never done so until tonight.

“Yes?” she whispered, not breaking her gaze.

“Can I-?” an interruption.

“ _Yes_ ” the quick response.

This kiss was nothing like the ones when they were dancing. This one was more forceful, more desperate, Adrien pulling Marinette’s waist towards him, breaching the space between their bodies, and Marinette’s hands moving up from his neck to his hair. She really thought she might be dreaming. She was flustered, yes, and she always thought she would freeze if this scenario played out in real life – but she was not going to waste any second of this, any second with Adrien.

The blond was also over the moon, because he, too, had dreamed about this for a long time: to finally be with his Lady in their civilian forms. He was so lucky that it was Marinette. He was so lucky to finally have her.

The kiss turned into kisses, because both of them wanted more, but both of them were trying to keep their composure. This was only the second time they were kissing, after all. The deep kiss turned into sweet pecks as neither of them wanted to let go. Adrien’s lips started moving to the side of Marinette’s face, pecking his way towards her cheeks. She laughed out loud, and he thought that he would do anything, for the rest of his life, to keep listening to that laughter.

“We have so many things to talk about” Marinette said. Adrien pulled away, smiling wholeheartedly.

“Yes, yes we do. Starting out with why you’re not wearing your Miraculous!” he replied, inspecting her hoop earrings.

Marinette blushed, panic rising. “I-it’s not that I took them off on purpose! Alya basically forced me to take off those ‘little studs’, as she called them! Believe me, it was a lost battle! But I have them right here, just in case of an emergency”

Adrien looked at Marinette as if he was going to chastise her, but then he smirked.

“So, are you saying that you _are_ Ladybug?”

“Adrien!” her response. He laughed, pulling her close again.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, Alya is a force to be reckoned with. And you’re also right about us having _a lot_ to talk about. But for now, will you please come enjoy the rest of the night with me? Alya and Nino are inside too, you know?” he asked, now caressing her cheek with his hand. She laughed out loud again, and nodded.

“Yes, _chaton_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this added fluff, and Marinette freaking out! This is not how I picture a reveal but it's where the story lead me to so...  
> Keep in touch for more Miraculous works coming soon! :)  
> And special thanks to one of my best friends ambarai (who doesn't have an AO3 account) for beta reading this! She also noticed the Miraculous mistake (ha!), along with one of you guys, so I decided to fix it<3  
> 


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